Locking a bike with a 15mm TA

I've done a search on the topic and returned a thread that's a few years old. I've got a 15mm TA Fox 34 and I'm looking to lock my bike on top of my car. I've got a regular adapter, but am looking for a locking solution. Anyone using anything in particular?

We have been working on a locking mech for the ForkUp, just taking longer then hoped. I use and still suggest a coated braided cable. You can create a noose around your frame and put the other looped end through the leg of the ForkUp and locked into the locking mount. I find this to be the most secure method, although some think its inconvienient.

I've done a search on the topic and returned a thread that's a few years old. I've got a 15mm TA Fox 34 and I'm looking to lock my bike on top of my car. I've got a regular adapter, but am looking for a locking solution. Anyone using anything in particular?

Same as any other bike/fork/front axle setup.

U-Lock through the frame and rear wheel, and a chain into the car through a window or sunroof. Anything else can be defeated in seconds with simple hand tools that a scumbag thief can carry in his back pocket.

Locking a bike with a 15mm TA

Originally Posted by pimpbot

Same as any other bike/fork/front axle setup.

U-Lock through the frame and rear wheel, and a chain into the car through a window or sunroof. Anything else can be defeated in seconds with simple hand tools that a scumbag thief can carry in his back pocket.

Would running the chain through my factory rails be sufficient? I fail to see how leaving a window open is a good idea if I'm trying to prevent theft...

Would running the chain through my factory rails be sufficient? I fail to see how leaving a window open is a good idea if I'm trying to prevent theft...

Well, not open, but cracked enough to get the chain or thick cable through. It doesn't take much. I run it through my sunroof with the rear tilted up, but not all cars have a sunroof. I attach mine to the inside door handle. I guess that can be defeated as well if you get inside the car.

But yeah, the roof rails should be better, depending on the car. Do the rails attached to the roof of the car, not the crossbars. At least if you have a good U-Lock around the rear wheel and frame, the thief has to defeat that before riding the bike off if he defeats the chain, or whatever the chain is attached to.

My primary point was that locks on racks are pretty much useless for actual security. They are almost always cheeseball locks made of cast pot metal that can be defeated with a big fat screwdriver, a small hammer and a pair of vice grips. Stick screwdriver in the lock, tap it in with a hammer (or the vice grips), grab screwdriver shaft with vice grips and turn. POP!

Heh... BTW, I have a friend who locked his bike to the roof of his car by the fork. IIRC, he had a 15mm thru axle, or maybe a 20mm. He left his bike on his car too long unattended. When he came back to his car, he found that the bike was gone but the fork was still locked to the rack, sticking up like an unwanted erection. So, the thief basically loosened the stem, removed the steerer tube top cap, removed the front brake from the fork, cut a few zip ties, and slid the frame and all off of the fork, and left the fork locked to the rack. Probably took the scumbag all of 3 minutes. Think about how far you can take a bike apart with a pair of wire cutters, a 4mm and 5mm allen wrench.

Any locking mechanism on any rack is just a deterrent. I don't care how big of a chain, cable or lock your using, if someone wants your bike, they'll get it. At Hurricane we are working on the best, most efficient locking mechanism for our ForkUp products we can, but we realize that nothing can completely stop theft. I'll post a picture of my cable lock and a simple product prototype that doesn't even use a lock but secures your bike.

Here are some pictures

Had to use my SS with a Lefty fork for the photos, it was the only bike with me that uses a ForkUp. This method of the cable can be used with any model ForkUp and the prototype metal object(Defender) will be produced to fit forks with 15mm and 20mm axles also(Lefty version shown)

Thats the side benefit of running a cable, I've been using a cable very similar to the one pictured above for years, been recommending this method to customers for the same time. It seems that the feedback I get from this site regarding locking your bike to your rack, that most people dont like the cable idea...I dont get why not, way better than just locking your fork, but I dont recommend any method of locking your bike and believing that your bike is safe, if someone wants it bad enough, they'll get it.